Forged From Metal
by thecrazyLaDiDa
Summary: Jim knows Treasure Planet is real, but what he doesn't know is that there is no treasure equal to the worth of love. And he's about to find out.
1. The Locket and The Bullet

At the age of 13 Nim was already beginning to show traits of beauty. She had a slender figure, a sweet face, and an earnest true personality that won everyone over instantly. Her happiness and ability to talk freely left the customers at the Benbow Inn happy they had come. It lightened Sarah's mood to see the girl so happy even though she had problems of her own she needed to solve.

Nim was, to put in simply, a mystery. She claimed to not remember anything from her past before coming to the Benbow Inn. Although Sarah didn't believe that was the full truth of it all, but she did believe that the girl had memory problems, for when she had asked the girl of certain things any child should know about themselves, the girl had scrunched up her face in thoughtfulness before finally admitting that she just didn't know. Things like her favorite book, for instance. _She didn't know her favorite book._ Regardless of that, she didn't even remember reading anything; not magazines, not newspapers…not even textbooks. But it didn't make sense because the girl knew how to read perfectly- even better than Jim to his annoyance.

But when Sarah asked her if she remembered her parents, Nim gave a small lethal pause that gave the lie away.

"No." She blinked, eyelashes fluttered downward toward to her shoes. Then back to Sarah, and hastily away to the window. She had avoided looking at Sarah in the eye. That was the second telltale sign Sarah got.

But Sarah knew 'yes.' Definitely, absolutely, without a doubt: _yes_. Maybe there was a back story Nim wasn't willing to share yet with her- and Sarah respected that- but there was something in the girls past that showed in her every step, every breath - even simplest flutter of eyelids - when she thought no one was looking. It worried Sarah, really, it did. And it killed her when she didn't know what to do.

True, Nim wasn't Sarah's biological daughter, but Sarah didn't think of her any differently than how she thought of Jim. She considered them both to be her children with all her heart and soul. Granted, Jim was a lot harder to..._manage_. But if it weren't for Nim, Sarah wasn't sure how she'd handle Jim. Jim was adventurous independent and rebellious. It was already twice that he got into problems with the law, and both times included his solar surfer. But Nim was the polar opposite. She made sure Jim's antics didn't go overboard (literally) and she was the only one in the house that could get an answer out of him at times. She tamed his rebellious fiery spirit in ways Sarah couldn't.

It was a simple relationship, really. Jim was Nim's best friend. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, Nim was his.

* * *

It was Sunday morning.

Nim groaned when the sunlight hit her face and in reply, smothered her pillow over her face to hide from the evil light. It still infiltrated and found way to her closed eyes, imprinting on them the bright yellowness that drove her further into her covers and into what she hoped would be darkness.

"Breakfast is ready," she heard Sarah's voice call out, addressing the two teens. Nim heard her approach her door. After a pause she added "May I come in?" Nim groaned as an answer.

Sarah opened the door and peeked inside the room. When Nim had first arrived the only decorations in the room were the curtains and bedspread, but over the years Nim had gradually turned the room into her own. Painting the walls a pale blue was her choice. Jim had built shelves for her 12 birthday and they now held her favorite books (among them were classics, but one book stood out from the others: "_Treasure Planet_." She had read it at least 30 times and she knew it like the back of her hand, despite the fact that it was a holographic book). Nim's desk was a clutter of stuff she needed to sort out.

"We're going shopping today," Sarah said. "Make sure you resemble the living in a few hours." She opened the window to allow the room to air out and gave Nim a kiss on the head before leaving to the kitchen.

The smell of pancakes eventually wafted into the air, and Nim found herself grudgingly getting hungrier and hungrier. Pulling a bathrobe on herself, she trudged over to the bathroom, shut the door, and locked herself in.

She stepped into the shower and out (she was never one to take long showers) and pulled on baggy brown pants along with a favorite maroon t shirt. She knew Sarah wouldn't approve of her wardrobe choice of the day, but it was just too comfortable to resist. After spending minimal time in the mirror, she descended the stairs in hope to salvage a few pancakes before Jim ate them all. Without a doubt, she knew it could be done.

"Look who decided to show up," Jim joked as she sat down. She took the seat across from him and stuck her tongue out as a reply. Without a second thought, she drizzled the pancakes with enough syrup to last a lifetime. With a huge smile on her face, she speared some on her fork and plopped it on her tongue. She moaned the second they made contact- they were that good. Sarah sure knew how to cook up a wicked batch of pancakes.

Jim looked at her oddly.

"Hey, Sarah!" She called out when she was done. "What are we going shopping for?"

Sarah was serving the table next to them. "Don't tell me you don't remember! It's your birthday tomorrow."

Nim dropped her fork in surprise, emitting a small "Oh!" that caused Jim to glance at her in question.

"She promised to buy me something from town!" She exclaimed in remembrance. Jim continued reading the newspaper without giving a hint that he had heard her.

"She promised to -" she started to repeat.

"Heard it the first time," he cut her off.

She made a face at him while getting up to begin serving the morning customers.

"Saw that." He called out as she walked through the swinging door of the kitchen.

Sarah instantly pushed a plate of worms into her arms. "This is for table 8."

"Gotcha," Nim murmured back. Delicately balancing the worms and 2 cups of purp juice in her hands, she made her way to table 8. Caught up in the task of making sure she didn't spill anything, she didn't notice Jim's voice and the large body part in her way until last second.

"Nim - watch out!"

She turned around just as she took a step forward. "Wha-" she tripped, and down she went; everything went flying.

She tumbled to the ground and squeezed her eyes shut to brace herself. A collective gasp had swept through the room, and everyone was frozen in their places, gaping at the airborne bowl of worms and juice which was making its decent back to the ground. She could only stare as the plate headed straight at her. Vaguely, she thought to herself, "_I should really move now_."

At last second someone pulled her out of the way and she knocked into something warm and hard, eliciting a small "oomf!" of surprise from her.

Instantly Jims hands were probing her head. "Montressor knows you have the worst luck imaginable," he muttered. The bowl crashed to the ground and broke, along with the purp juices, in a loud noise, producing an unintentional moan to come from deep inside her.

"Nim!" Jim's voice broke through. He looked concerned, and for some reason it sparked a flare of annoyance in her.

"I'm fine." She pushed away from Jim. Then she noticed the silence. The entire inn had quieted at her fall. Some people had their mouths open in surprise; others were in the process of getting up to help her.

"I'm so sorry! Just- please- carry on with your meal." She rushed into the kitchen and back to clean up the mess. Jim helped her, glancing up at her in concern as he knelt next to her collecting the broken glass. She pretended not to notice.

The hours passed quickly, but she was replaying the fall in her head over and over stuck on repeat which made it ten times longer. When the time finally came to leave, she rushed to throw on her boots, bumping into Jim as she did so.

"Nim- wait," he said, but she was already out the door.

"See ya!" she called out, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. She ran out of the house, pulling on her left boot as she did so. Stumbling over to Sarah, she smiled. "Ready when you are," Nim said.

Sarah glanced at her watch. "You're ready, but Jims not."

"He's coming too?!" Nim exclaimed.

"Yes, Jim is coming, too," a distinctive male voice said from behind. "That a problem?"

It wasn't. Not really, at least. But the moment they arrived at town, she forgot all about the stupid fall and her being crushed into Jim's chest.

The streets were cobblestones, thrumming with the hum of life and conversation from all around. Venders had set up their tables so close to each other that she picked up 50 smells and sounds. Her hands already itched to hold and touch everything she could see; her curiosity was at its peak.

She grabbed onto Jims sleeve and pulled him, _hard_. "Jim, let's go over there - where the lady has pretty colors. See? Over there!" He didn't have much of a choice but to follow (or be pulled) to where a lady with pink hair and a distinctive monkey face was selling pretty cloth spun from fine silk. Nims eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the lady create a quilt right before their eyes.

"You want one?" Jim asked. She shook her head in response.

"What I want is over there," she pointed a finger to the jewelry stand, and Jim raised an eyebrow.

"So you wanted jewelry. I shouldn't be surprised."

She punched his arm playfully. "You haven't even seen what I want yet."

Sarah watched the two with a small smile forming on her lips. She merely followed them as they made way to the jewelry stand. Jim looked bored already, so she pursed her lips and handed him his weekly allowance, tilting her head to signify that he should go. He shook his head back at her and nodded towards Nim. Sarah raised an eyebrow in wonder but he simply shrugged in reply. Nim didn't even notice the exchange going on between mother and son behind her back.

"This one!" Nim cried out when she saw her desired item. "I wanted this one," she repeated sheepishly when she realized people were staring at her.

Sarah leaned over to get a better look as the owner of the jewelry beamed down at Nim.

"Why now, this one has been quite popular recently! It records things when you open it like this," she took it out of the glass for them to see and opened the locket by pressing the top of it. "You can see it what you recorded. It pops out like a hologram…" Nim squealed out something about Treasure Planet to Sarah in excitement. Jim couldn't help but think about his favorite childhood story. Too bad growing up entailed forgetting and disbelieving in it. But somewhere deep inside, him he believed it was still real. Something like that couldn't just be made up, right?

Jim tuned out the saleslady when he spied the boots he was looking for. Slipping away from the trio, he went unnoticed. The females had begun pouring over the options the vender had to offer. No doubt a rip off, but he didn't say anything.

"How much for those, old man?" he asked the owner, pointing to the black boots rimmed in a dark brownish red.

"30 drabloons," the man said without looking up, instead pouring over the newspaper, his eyes darting back and forth over the words.

"Here, then." Jim plopped the money on the counter. When the man didn't answer him, he coughed into his hand loudly. The man instantly grabbed the money of the counter in lighting fast speed and began counting it. "Here ye go, lad." He threw Jim a box and his change before finally taking a good look at his customer.

"Why, yer' Jim Hawkins, aren't ye'?" He said. Jim looked up in surprise.

"Yeah. That's me," said Jim finally. The man laughed.

"No need to look at me like that, lad. I don't know you, actually, just know how you look 'cuz I've seen you with that pretty lass-"

Jim's eyes grew ominous as his eyebrows knitted together. "_What_?"

The man looked at him for a moment before choosing his words. "That Benbow Inn, she works there, doesn't she? Always makes an attempt to talk to gloomy old me, even though I don't deserve her niceness." He chuckled and returned to his newspaper, glancing at Jim one last time. "Ye' just gonna stand there for the rest of the day? I'll charge you for that. People will think I'm busy, won't have any customers."

"Fine," Jim muttered and grabbed his purchase and stuffed it in the box. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a blue bow shining in the sunlight and made a quick decision, approaching the man once more. He nodded toward the bow, trying to seem nonchalant. "How much for the bow?"

The man peeked at it and looked back at Jim. He lit a cigarette before taking a large puff. "Take it," he said thoughtfully. "It's worth nothing." Jim pocketed the pretty thing knowing exactly what he'd use it for.

The rest of the day entailed ice cream (chocolate chip cookie for Jim and strawberry peach for Nim, with sprinkles, of course), shopping for spices with Sarah, and a beautiful bus ride back to their Benbow inn as the suns set peacefully; one after another. It was still light when they got back so Sarah motioned to Jim that he should take Nim to the garage.

"You do know it's not my birthday today, right?" Nim asked as he led her around the outside house.

The garage was a beat up thing with metal doors and windows covered in dents and oxidized parts that should have been long since replaced. Inside it was everything Jim did to build his solar surfer (among other things). Nim and Jim spent a lot of time together in in that shed; Jim built things while Nim did most of the watching and talking. She found it somewhat peaceful to watch Jim figure things out inside the metal building. He was a genius, really. He could figure out machinery like no one else she knew could. The two had a lot of good memories in there ever since Nim had arrived on that rough and stormy night.

Jim unlocked the rusty door. "Yeah, I know. But it's going to rain tomorrow."

Nim's eyes widened in curiosity and Jim bit back a laugh before letting the door open.

Inside was an object hidden under tarp to protect it. On the tarp lay a blue bow to Nims delight! With a questioning gaze, she grabbed onto the thick material and pulled it off in one great tug.

She gasped upon seeing what was before her, her hand flying to cover her mouth in surprise. Running to Jim, she pulled him into a hug, smiling hugely. "Oh my gosh- Jim!" She ran back to her new blue sleek shiny solar surfer and ran her fingers along its sails. She inspected the board and engine, flipped a few controls and whooping in delight.

"You like it?" He asked her once she looked up.

"Are you kidding me? Jim I… I love it! How long did it take you to make it?" He shrugged. "Really Jim, I don't know how you do it. It's…amazing." She said the last few words in a whisper.

"Try it out," Jim probed.

She boarded the surfer and slammed her heel down on the break. The surfer powered to life as the sails seemed to glow, despite the darkness of the garage. She zipped out of the garage and zoomed toward the sky as Jim ran to get a better look at her.

She disappeared from view until she was a mere speck in the cloudy sky, and then Jim saw that she was falling…falling…falling toward the ground with lightning fast speed, twirling and spinning and spiraling as she made her fast descent. He could only stare as she neared the ground, and was about to yell out in warning, but she leveled the board at the last second and zipped past him. Jim could hear her laughter. His bangs flew in the wind as he followed her with his eyes.

She got off from the solar surfer and ran to him, pulling him into another quick bone crushing hug that lasted a mere second. She let him go, looking frazzled, and asked, "how long where you planning it for?"

They walked back to the Benbow inn together, both talking to the other in excitement. Jim was telling her how he made it and all the things it could do, and Nim showed him her new holographic locket.

"Let's record the first tape together," she suggested. He slipped it from her neck, inspecting it. "This is how you'd do it," he pressed an unnoticeable button on the top and the machine instantly folded in on itself, emitting a small light that glowed red before beeping to signal the beginnings of recording.

She took it from him and smiled, pulling him into the shot by his elbow.

"Smile," she murmured lowly.

"You smile."

"I am!"

"You're always smiling," he said before he could stop himself.

She turned to look at him from the corner of her eye and paused. "Is smiling bad?"

He shrugged and looked directly at the machine. "I don't know. You tell me. Is smiling bad?"

"No," Nim concluded, flicking her eyes to his face before glancing back to the machine. "Smiling is never bad."

Jim reached out to tap the button again, and the machine instantly returned back to its original form. The locket showed them the recording they just made and gave Nim the option to save or delete it. Nim saved it on the tape and slipped it back on her neck.

"You know," Jim said as they neared the Benbow inn, "I remember the day when you arrived here."

Nim looked at him in surprise, not expecting the sudden topic change. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"It was raining."

She stopped walking and looked at him oddly. "I don't remember seeing you the night I arrived." She pointed out.

"I was at the stairs, you probably didn't see me." Jim suddenly looked put on the spot, running a hand through his bangs.

"You were watching us!" Nim cried out in understanding. "You were watching me and Sarah in the-" she suddenly crumpled to the ground with a shriek of pain. Jim didn't process what happened, but he saw her on the ground and instantly dropped down on his knees next to her.

"Nim?" He asked. Her hands flew to her eye and she screamed; a raw and terrified sound. Panic grew in Jim's chest. "Nim- talk to me!" But her hands wouldn't leave her eye, no matter how hard he pulled it. Her hand wouldn't budge. And then he saw it. _The_ _blood_, forming in-between her fingers. Little droplets of redness. His breath caught in his chest.

"Nim, you have to let me see your eye." He said desperately. She shook her head. "_Please_, Nim." He repeated and this time she listened, pulling her hand away from her eye just a little bit. Jim swallowed a scream.

Buried in her pupil was a small metal…_arrow_. It was a clean shot, and it looked painful.

"Don't move! I'm coming back" He yelled and ran, stumbling as did, to the Benbow Inn.

Sarah looked startled when Jim rushed through the door, looking like he saw a ghost. "Jim?" She nearly dropped the pile of dishes she was holding. Her son looked like he'd seen death.

"It's Nim," he choked out, catching his breath. "She has something in her eye. And she's screaming, I don't know what to do-" Sarah shook her head in incomprehension. "Where is she?" She followed Jim to Nim, who was moaning and clutching her eye, rocking back and forth; half screaming, half crying.

"Nim!" Sarah dropped down next to the girl and took her trembling hands in her own, cooing to her as if she was a small bunny. She bit her lip when she saw the injured eye, her own widening in shock. Jim called the police who arrived within the minute in a super-fast police-authorized vehicle. Nim was placed into the back of the vehicle, together with Jim and Sarah, and they were whisked off to the local hospital. During the entire trip, Nim crushed Jim's hand, giving small moans of agony. Jim looked like he was in as much pain as Nim when they arrived at the hospital, his hand unable to move when Nim was whisked into one of the many hallways. Sarah and Jim were left to wait in the waiting room, glancing at the clock every 10 seconds and back to the hallway for someone to tell them something.

_ Anything, please. _Jim thought.

He swore in his mind. She was with him. How could it have happened? She did surf, but she was absolutely fine then. They were walking for heaven's sake- _walking_. What were the odds that something would wedge itself in her eye when she was walking? Sarah looked equally confused and pained. She just kept on shaking her head and fixing her apron, which she didn't even get to take off in the rush that they left in.

And then a robot came to them, signaling that they should follow it, and they did, into a room where someone in a lab stood facing away from them. That someone turned around to face them as the door clicked shut, and Jim heard Sarah suck in an audible breath. The doctor held out a hand that neither Jim nor Sarah took, as rude as it was. They couldn't tear their eyes from a lengthy scar that ran vertically across his face; starting from the neck and ending above his right eye. It was a vivid red turned maroon over the years. And yet it was as gruesome and horrible as when the doctor had gotten it, Jim was sure.

"Done looking?" The doctor asked in a clipped tone, startling Sarah out of her trance. "I'm Doctor Holden."

"Sarah Hawkins." Sarah supplied.

"Lovely." Holden turned to look at Jim, giving him a once- over. "You must be Jim." A statement. Not a question. Jim looked at Holden. He finally nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking away from the steely gaze.

"Female. 14 years of age by tomorrow. Height of 5''2. Weighs 105 pounds. In perfect health except for her right eye. Am I correct?" Dr. Holden confirmed. Both Sarah and Jim nodded. "Her left pupil has been punctured by this." He held up a small silver sleek bullet that was long and sharp. Jim felt his insides jump upon seeing the piece of equipment that had punctured Nim's eye.

"Will she see again- in her right eye?" Asked Sarah.

Dr. Holden shook his head, and Jim felt his heart sink through his stomach and land infeet. He felt suddenly nauseous, regretting eating anything that day. Sarah gasped and held a hand to her mouth, where it was agape. She stuttered, unable to say anything coherent.

Dr. Holden put down the file and picked up a small remote. He clicked away at it and pulled up a page on the large screen. Jim looked at the screen, understanding exactly what he was looking at the moment he laid eyes on it.

"We can offer this replacement for her vision. It will be noticeable, but it's a fine price to pay for the return of vision. And it's got some interesting perks-such as x-ray, ultra red-"

"But she's lost her eye. She won't be fully _human _with that…that thing!" Jim punched the wall before sagging against it, closing his eyes.

The doctor sighed and walked toward the door which he opened for them. "She will see again, and that is as much as you could ask for." He led them into a different room where a hospital bed floated above the ground. A person could be made out on the bed, still as a stone carving and as placid as the dead

It was Nim. Her short black hair looked slick as oil under the lights and her face looked somewhat serene as she was sleeping, hopefully dreaming, Jim thought. Her right eye donned a black patch that contrasted greatly against her white skin.

Dr. Holden plucked a clipboard from one of the nurse bots standing next to him and offered it to Sarah, who hesitated in taking it.

"Sign this and we will have the mechanical part put in her eye immediately. The cost will be derived from the insurance she is under as your full time employee. Just know," he stressed, "that this can only be done now, while the nerves aren't damaged enough. Hesitate now and she will never be able to see again out of her right eye, _ever_."

Sarah looked at Jim, who looked back at her.

"What about the risk?" Jim asked.

The doctor strapped on medical gloves. "None. Not when I'm working here."

Jim gaped at him. "You can't promise that!"

"We'll do it." Sarah signed quickly at the forms and handed the clipboard to the robo bot standing next to her. "But we're staying here the entire time."

The doctor smiled in return. "That'll be just fine. Outside you'll find a waiting room. Coffee and nourishment is available to you."

Sarah and Jim found themselves sitting in chairs once more, feeling even more anxious than they had before.

"What now?" Jim asked staring at the wall clock.

Sarah sighed and grasped onto the form she had received back tightly. "Now we get ready for a long night," she said back.


	2. Not Quite A Machine

Hey guys, crazyLaDiDa here. Just wanted to say hey and also that I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post. Most of it is my inability to focus and the other part of it is my inability to finish homework quickly. ;) Review!

* * *

_ "…I'm not quite human, and I'm not quite a machine…"_

Nim groaned and turned her head slightly, but it did nothing to stop the ache between her eyes.

_"…so I guess that leaves you staring, at something that's somewhere in between…"_

Why was there music playing?

And why did her head hurt? Between her eyes, especially…

As if her groan was what was needed to stop it, the music ceased to play. Someone patted Nim's head, moving the hair out of her eyes.

"Sarah?" Nim croaked.

"Shh, now. Go back to sleep."

"But I…" Nim's conscious was a small thing, slipping between her fingers like sand. The words died on her lips.

_"Colors. So many colors…"_

* * *

Nim knocked on the wooden door till her knuckles hurt. Why wasn't anyone opening the door? It was raining, she was cold, and she had traveled a day's worth just to come here- only to find that **there was nobody home?**

Bless the galaxies. Her luck couldn't wane out now, of all times.

The door opened; a creak of a sound, so different than the platters of rain on metal, causing Nim to breathe a sigh of relief, loud and audible even to the surprised figure standing in the doorway. It coursed through Nim's body -the hope- and she raised her small voice to a woman gaping at her.

"May I come in, please?" Nim felt like a mouse compared to the big looming house in front of her.

The woman ushered her in. A fire was crackling in the mantle, calling out to Nim. She allowed herself to be pulled to it, hands out- almost too close for comfort, and breathed out a small sigh of relief as the warmth of the flames ebbed away the coldness in her fingers.

"What's your name?" The woman asked, pulling Nim out of her thoughts.

"Nim," she answered while adjusting her hat. Short dark hair peeked through, almost boyish. "I don't have a last name."

If the woman was surprised to hear this, she did a good job at hiding it. She handed Nim a warm mug which Nim accepted graciously, peering into the mug hesitantly. She took a precautious sip and broke into a smile upon recognizing the taste.

"It's warm milk. It'll help you sleep," said the woman, taking back the now empty cup. "I'm Sarah. This is the Benbow Inn."

"I like...milk." Nim struggled to find words that expressed what she was feeling. No one had ever -_ever-_ made her a warm glass of milk. Somehow, a thank you just didn't suffice.

Sarah crouched down to Nim's level and smiled, seeming to understand what the girl was trying to say."How old are you, Nim?"

"I just turned nine yesterday!" Nim beamed. "The baker even gave me this nice hat, see?" She took off the hat and flaunted it in front of Sarah with childlike pride. "It's my favorite hat, ever."

"Yes, it's quite lovely," Sarah agreed.

A moment passed in which no one said a word, only the sounds of the fire crackling in the fireplace were heard atop the sound of rain beating against the metal roof.

"May I stay here for the night?" Nim said, breaking the silence. "I won't mind sleeping in front of the fire. I'll be plenty warm." She pointed to her arm. "Even the goose bumps are gone."

Sarah scoffed as she rose to normal height, brushing the dust from her nightgown. "You're staying here, Nim. This is an inn; I wouldn't make you sleep on the floor, especially when there are beds on the second floor." Sarah led her upstairs, Nim trudging behind her, yawning hugely. Rain droplets fell from her wet coat to the hard wood floors in soft drip-drops.

The room Sarah opened was one of the smaller ones, seeing as Nim didn't have any baggage with her, but the girl didn't seem to mind. Contrary to that, she was delighted to have a room of her own.

"This is for me?" she squeaked out, looking into the lowly lit room. It had a bed with simple pale colored sheets on it, a dresser, and a mirror hanging above it. Other than those necessities, the room was bare, save for a small chair sitting in the corner near the lamp. But to Nim, she saw a princesses bedroom in a faraway castle from a fairy tale. It was lovely.

Sarah merely smiled. "Go wash up." She prodded Nim toward the bathroom attached to the room and waited for girl to take a shower before giving her a towel and clothing to sleep in.

"Sleep tight, Nim," Sarah said as she tucked the girl in. The door of the bedroom clicked shut, but Nim was already asleep when her head had touched the pillow. She dreamt of nothing that night.

The early morning sun was bright when Nim jumped out of the bed and into her clothes. She quietly ran down the stairs into the kitchen and slipped an over sized apron over her head. Nim pulled on some gloves and set to work, cleaning every dish and counter in sight till the room legitimately _sparkled_ in the morning sunlight.

"Nim!" Sarah cried out in surprise.

"I hope you don't mind…it's a thank you for last night. I just don't have money to offer you…"

Sarah knelt in front of Nim and hugged her, causing tears to well up in the corners of Nim's eyes. Nim hastily wiped them away with the back of her hands. She really didn't want Sarah to see her cry.

"Nim, would you consider working here for the bedroom upstairs?"

Nim couldn't hold in the tears this time. She nodded silently as Sarah wiped away the salty droplets for her.

"Then consider it yours."

* * *

The second time she woke Nim didn't open her eyes . She took a deep breath of the stale air instead, exhaling out of her mouth. Her mouth felt parched; her throat was equally as scratchy. Vaguely she could tell her neck hurt. Her hand went to sleep, too. At some point she must have ended up sleeping on top of it during her dream of a memory.

That was all too easy to remember, how she came to be at the Benbow Inn, but she couldn't remember what happened to her to end up in a hospital.

How helpful.

_Pain. Searing flashes of it. Sudden. Blinding._

She curled her toes. "C'mon, Nim. _Think_."

The last thing she wanted was a mental blockage keeping her from her sanity. _Her increasingly distant sanity, it seemed._

Something had lodged itself in her eye so deep that crying hurt- right? The salt of the tears had only stung more. Loud screaming had emanated from her, from the pain or hysteria building up inside her. Or maybe just both.

Jim had been there. He was also screaming. At her. To tell him what was wrong.

_"Nim, you have to let me see your eye!" Jim cried out desperately. She shook her head in frenzied reply. "Please, Nim!" He grabbed her hands, scaring her further and causing her to scream louder._

She remembered a period of darkness. Voices talked so clearly that it felt like a nightmare, she just couldn't remember what they had said! And there was the pain, too. It had been immense. More than she had ever felt in her life.

Maybe that was why she couldn't remember anything the voices were saying, because the pain had taken over all other senses she had.

After that- nothing. No voices, no colors, no sounds.

_No pain, _a little voice in her head whispered.

Where had the pain gone? It shouldn't have left that easily. It wasn't normal.

_Unless someone helped you_ the little voice in her head whispered again.

The voices! She realized with a start. They were the ones that performed surgery on her!

Gently Nim raised her hand to her face to touch her eye. The right one. The one that was punctured.

Just then, the door slammed shut, scaring her witless. She jumped and turned her head to look at whoever entered the room.

A man in a white lab coat. He strolled over to her and sat down on the chair, holding out his hand to her surprise. She gave him hers, though hesitantly. His hand dwarfed hers completely and Nim found herself getting anxious. Did she know him? A fleeting look at his face determined that she didn't. That scar…she'd remember anyone with a scar like that.

"Nice to meet you, Nim. I don't suppose you remember our previous meeting." His voice was deep and authoritative.

"Previous one?" Nim parroted stupidly, her attention not on the man but rather the gruesome scar.

"Yes." His voice made her look him in the eyes. They were gray, like the sky on a cloudy day and rimmed with black, but with specs of blue dotted near the pupil. If anything, she would say his eyes were downright beautiful compared to his sallow complexion.

"I'm Doctor Holden." He introduced himself.

"Nim," she replied back.

He smiled humorlessly down at her. "I don't suppose you know who I am."

Nim shook her head. Here she was, completely vague on what was going on around her, and all he could do was ask her questions he _knew_ she couldn't answer?

"A doctor?" Nim said, and wished she said nothing instantly. His smile seemed less of a response to something funny and more of a pitying smile, something you would give a cat stuck in a tree.

"Yes, in fact, I am a doctor," he said, a trace of humor in his voice. "I am the very doctor that performed surgery on that right eye of yours two days ago. And with quite successful results, if I do say so myself," he finished with a chuckle.

Nim remembered years ago when she had fallen from the roof. Her side got the worst of the impact with the ground, and she remembered not being able to breathe for a good ten seconds. Her whole body had frozen to absorb the impact and she hadn't been able to move. That's how she felt now.

Unable to breathe.

"My eye... Is it ok?" She asked, a desperation evident in her voice.

Doctor Holden looked surprised for a second before answering. "Better than okay, Nim. I'd bet my chances you have the best vision on this planet this very second. However, I can't promise you that in the years to come. With the technology that's coming out, and at the speed at which it is, too..." he chuckled again.

Nim could feel the hair on her back standing up. "What do you mean _technology_?! What are you trying to-!"

Doctor Holden shined a light into both her eyes, startling her out of her outburst, and nodded at the results in approval.

"Stop that nonsense. You'll only scare yourself for no reason," he said in a clipped tone. She didn't buy it.

"I need to have a mirror." Nim stated firmly.

The doctor found this funny. "Now why would you want to do that?" He proceeded to test her limbs with a hammer, but she knocked it away with the back of her hand.

"I want to see for myself what you're talking about," Nim said. "It's my eye. I need to know."

Dr. Holden sighed, defeated and clapped twice. Two bots whizzed through the door immediately. He spoke to them quietly and they left, only to return with a closet sized mirror between them covered in white sheet. The doctor sent them away with a flick of his wrist after they settled it on the floor. Dr Holden turned to face Nim. He nodded once and slipped the material off, revealing the mirror.

Nim stared at herself in it. Her face took on a mask of horror.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

A piercing scream split the air.

* * *

He had to stitch up her hand because she broke the mirror.

It was a bloody mess- her hand. The knuckles receiving the worst of the ordeal. One was so puffed up, it resembled a cherry. They were probably going to be very sore once she stopped shaking from adrenaline. Washing dishes was going to be hell.

Holden pressed gauze with alcohol on her worst knuckle –the last one- causing her to hiss out in pain. He grabbed a silver spray can and sprayed it on her knuckle, instantly numbing the sting.

"Am I human?" Nim asked.

He took a needle and threaded it through the skin, patching up the knuckle. She almost forgot to turn away from the sight but instead continued to watch him. His movements were fluid, almost like he was born with a needle.

"Are you going to answer me?" She asked.

_Sometimes it was better to not know the truth_ the voice in her head scolded her, and she almost replied to it.

_Damn you_, she gritted her teeth.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he finally answered in a weary voice, as if the last thing he wanted to be doing was talk with an unstable teenager about her humanity. Or the possible loss of it.

He remained quiet and continued to work on her hand. When he finished, he put down the needle and pulled off the rubber gloves.

"How to put this…" He grimaced. "Your eye is beta versions RSt3. R stand for the type of metal we used, St standing for the element found on your home planet. It makes up 95% of the material in your eye and is what enables it to work as well as it does. 3 stands for the number of inorganic mechanisms working in live time in your brain."

She whimpered and then bit her lip to refrain from making any noises.

"You are lucky, Nim." Dr. Holden said.

"Lucky?" She repeated faintly.

"If this were a different situation, people would be seeing out of one eye now and be wearing an eye patch for the rest of their lives. You have not only vision in both eyes, but a mechanical eye capable of skills scientists only wished they had."

Nim merely continued to stare at him, a disbelieving expression on her face.

"You have x-ray vision and infrared vision," he explained. "You can work this skill easily. Would you like me to explain you how to use it?"

Nim didn't answer, but nodded faintly.

The next hour was a blur of information. How to use her eye, how to keep it clean, how to put it on standby etc. Complete with the textbook sized manual.

It scared her so much. How could she ever be human again? How was anyone going to be her friend once they see her revolting, disgusting face? How was anyone going to look her in the eye without looking away, cringing?

_How was anyone ever going to love her_?

* * *

Sarah had never seen Nim so down before. The girl had barely said one word to Sarah when she came to pick her up from the hospital, only giving a nod in greeting before lapsing into heavy silence. Sarah thought Nim would be at least excited to leave, after all, the last few days had been a nightmare. But it seemed like Nim was indifferent to where she was.

Nim walked in small mechanical movements to the Air-Ship, angling herself away from Sarah and anyone breathing for that matter. Her hoodie was drawn up and her hands were stuffed in her pockets in very un- Nim like behavior.

They boarded the Air-Ship in silence.

Sarah was slightly uncomfortable. Choice of words was important right now. One wrong word could set the girl off, and she knew this only too well.

"Nim-" she started.

"_Don't."_Nim's voice cut her off harshly.

Sarah found herself slightly miffed. She wasn't expecting this.

Sarah herself had experienced a slew of Jim's silent treatments, but never from Nim. In fact, the girl didn't know how to be completely silent. She loved to talk and asked questions daily, whether they were about the sun, customers, or even tea leaves for heaven's sake. Customers knew her for the talkative girl she was.

"Nim, honey, talk to me," Sarah's eyes crinkled in worry. And suddenly, a brown eye was looking steadily into her own blue ones. And it was so…cold, just Like Jim's ever since his father had left. Sarah's breath caught in her throat. _  
_

"Have you ever felt like a monster? Ever felt like the world could just swallow you up and you wouldn't miss anything? Like, _anything_?" Nim spoke in a whisper.

Sarah instantly felt a pang in her chest and took Nim's hands in her own, holding them tightly. "Yes, Nim," she whispered back, emotion clear in her blue orbs. "_Of course _I have. Everyone has. But you have two people who love you very much, and they'll make sure you don't fall, that you'll come right up." She squeezed the limp hands once more, and in a sudden moment, they squeezed back.

_"_Don't let me fall_," _Nim whispered. "_Please_."

"I won't." Sarah felt her will melt away. "_We_ won't."

* * *

The moment the Air Ship docked in its station, a mile or so away from the Benbow Inn, a figure tore down the dusty road. He pushed through the crowd to make way back to his home on the cliff-side, a mile's run away. Sweat had already collected on his brow from the run _to_ the station, and now he was running _away _from it, intent on making it back before they did.

Before _she_ did.


End file.
